> So, after this rather lengthy introduction to the dilemma, here it is: When do you say "try to", and when do you say "try and"? Are there any absolute rules, or can you use whichever of them you want at any time?

I'm not certain, but I'll give your question a go. "Try to" would be used if you were saying something specific you or someone else was intending to try. For example, you could say, "Will you try to go to the post office tomorrow?" or "I will try to sculpt the cheese wedge into a bust of Beethoven." However, if I'm not mistaken, I think "try and" is commonly misused. If someone says, "I will try and sculpt the cheese wedge..." it's like saying you're going to try, and you're also going to go sculpt. It's like saying you WILL do both of those things...try AND sculpt. If you say "try to" it's just saying you don't know if you can or not, but you'll try. I dunno how to explain it...darn it. I'm going to be an English teacher, but I hope I'm partially correct.

My mom thinks "try and" is misused all the time and should not be used at all, claiming that "try and try again" is the only correct usage.

~Den-"yeah, yeah, no one laugh at me too much...I tried, didn't I?"Kara